Hillsborough Mill Fatality.

premises of the Feathers Inn, Castle MR. SWIFT MACNEILL: I accept Morton, or was granted to the licensee of the compliment, Sir. the Feathers Inn for the sale of intoxicants in the Church of England schoolhouse at Castle Morton, Worcestershire, during a Primrose League and smoking concert on 24th February; what is the population of this village, and how many licences for the sale of intoxicants exist there; and do the facts of the case call for action by the Home Office, and, if so, what.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE, Leeds, W.) I have made inquiries into this case and am informed that the licence in question authorised in accordance with the Acts in that behalf the licensee of the "Plume of Feathers Inn to sell intoxicating liquor at the Castle Morton Schoolroom between 7 and 10 p.m. on 24th February. The population of the parish, which, I understand, can hardly be called a village is 795, scattered over 3,701 acres. There are five licensed premises in the parish, viz., the "Plume of Feathers" Inn and four beer-houses small and set wide apart; not one of these premises has accommodation for smoking concerts on similar gatherings. I find nothing to call for any action on my part.

MR. H. J. TENNANT (Berwickshire) : I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the death of Charles Ernest Gash, aged fifteen, at Hillsborough, through being crushed in the rolling mills of Messrs. Manoah King and Company; whether the firm had been warned to fence the machinery and couplings of rolls more than once, and had omitted to carry out the instructions of the inspector; and whether he proposes to take any action in the matter.

MR. GLADSTONE : I have made inquiry and find that the firm had been warned by the inspector to fence the couplings in their factory. It would seem that they had provided guards in accordance with the inspector's instructions but had failed, in the case of the couplings which caused the accident, to keep the guards in position. The inspector has been directed to take proceedings against the firm for the breach of the Act involved.

Convictions for Drunkenness on Licensed
Premises.

VISCOUNT HELMSLEY (Yorkshire, MR. MYER (Lambeth, N.): I beg to N.R., Thirsk): In view of the fact that the ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer facts stated in a Question on this subject how many convictions were obtained last Monday were incorrectly stated, i.e., in England and Wales for allowing it being said the vicar was in the drunkenness on licensed premises during chair, whereas he was not, will the the three years 1905, 1906, and 1907; right hon. Gentleman withdraw the insinuation which was then made by a member of the Government?

and how many licences have changed hands where such convictions have been obtained.

of Trade whether his attention has been referred to. I am sorry I cannot give my called to the fact that on 23rd March a hon. friend the information he asks for child returning from school was knocked as to the importation of French-made down and killed by a Great Western Rail- crochet, as the goods are not separately way express on a level crossing at Knowle, classified in the Customs Returns. With Pewsey; whether he is aware that the reference to the last paragraph of the continuance of this level crossing was Question the Board of Trade are always strongly condemned at the coroners' prepared to consider with a view to inquest by the coroner and the jury, prosecution, if the circumstances should that it has been the subject of repeated warrant it, any cases of infringement of complaints by the parish council of the Merchandise Marks Act that may be Pewsey to the railway company for the put before them which affect the general last fourteen years, that other fatal interests of a trade. accidents have occurred at the same spot, that the crossing is in daily use by the public, more especially by school children, and that this section of the company's line is now used increasingly by fast trains to and from the West; and whether, in view of these facts and the feeling engendered locally by the recurrence of these fatal accidents, he will make such representation to the company as will cause a footbridge to be substituted for this dangerous level crossing.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE, Carnarvon Boroughs): I am in communication with the railway company with regard to the recommendation of the coroner's jury, and will inform my hon. friend of the result.

Irish Lace Frauds.

MR. BOLAND (Kerry, S.): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that La Samaritaine, a French firm trading at 99, Regent Street, London, was prosecuted on 27th March and fined £20, at the Marlborough Street Police Court, for exposing and selling as Irish lace a French-made crochet blouse; can he state through what English ports and under what designation French-made crochet is imported; what is the estimated annual value of such importation according to the latest information available; and can he state what steps he proposes to take in order to safeguard the interests of the Irish lace industry from dishonest competition in London and other cities of Great Britain.

MR. LLOYD-GEORGE: My attention has been called to the prosecution

MR. BOLAND: May I ask the right hon. Gentleman in connection with this gross case of fraud why the Board of Trade has not done as it did in another case, where it prosecuted to conviction and imprisonment a seller of fraudulent Scottish tweed?

MR. LLOYD-GEORGE: That prosecution was undertaken on information supplied to us, and if similar information is brought to our attention in regard to Irish lace we shall be pleased to act on it.

Losses through Licensing Trade Failures.
MR. MYER: I beg to ask Mr.
Chancellor of
of the Exchequer what
was the aggregate amount of loss
incurred in the licensing trade in Eng-
land and Wales in the years 1905, 1906
and 1907, respectively, by reason
failures of retail traders to meet their
liabilities.

of the milk supplied within the City, with | appointed last year to inquire into the suggestions for preventing the contamina- wages of Post Office servants, have made tion of such milk; whether he has re- several recommendations in the different ceived a copy of that Report with certain departments of the Post Office which he representations from the Corporation promised to carry out, and that in the based thereon; and whether he intends case of women clerks employed in the dealing with the subject in his Bill. savings banks, whose old scale of salary was an initial one of £55, with annual increments of £2 10s., the Committee recommended an initial salary of £65, with annual increments of £5; and whether, seeing that according to present arrangements the initial salary is £65 without any increment for five years, he will take steps to give such increments as were recommended by the Committee with a view to encouraging efficiency in the different departments.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. JOHN BURNS, Battersea): I have received a copy of the Report referred to. As I stated in reply to a previous Question on this subject, I trust that the effects of the Bill which I hope to introduce will be to secure more satisfactory control over the milk supply of the country.

Anthrax in the City.

MR. ASHLEY: I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the report of the inquest held in the City Coroner's Court, on 11th March, on the death of Mary Ellen Pooley from anthrax; and whether, having regard to the fact that a death from anthrax was investigated in the same Court on 8th February, and to the recommendation of the jury, in which the City Coroner concurred, that cases of anthrax ought to be included in the list of diseases compulsorily notifiable to medical officers of health, he will take steps to give effect to that recommendation.

MR. JOHN BURNS: My attention has been called to the report of this inquest. As I stated on Monday last, in reply to a Question by the hon. Member for the Ashford Division, it is competent for a sanitary authority, with the consent of the Local Government Board, to make cases of anthrax in human beings compulsorily notifiable in their district.

MR. ASHLEY: Will the right hon. Gentleman issue a circular urging authorities to make it compulsory in all cases?

MR. JOHN BURNS: I will consider that.

Women Clerks in the Savings Bank. MR. MEAGHER (Kilkenny, N.): I beg to ask the Postmaster-General if he

THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON, Tower Hamlets, Poplar): The recommendations of the Select Committee in regard to women clerks in the Savings Bank Department have been carried out in full already.

Civil Service Socialists.

MR. STANLEY WILSON (Yorkshire, E.R., Holderness) asked the PostmasterGeneral whether he was aware that a public demonstration was held by the Civil Servants' Socialist Society at Lambeth Baths on 27th March, and whether this demonstration was held with his approval and consent.

MR. SYDNEY BUXTON: My atten

tion has not been called to the matter.

MR. STANLEY WILSON: Would the right hon. Gentleman like a copy of the bill advertising the meeting?

MR. SYDNEY BUXTON: Anything the hon. Member sends me I shall receive with great pleasure.

AN HON. MEMBER: Put it in the tea-room.

Excess of School-Places. MR. LANE-FOX, (Yorkshire, W.R., Barkston Ash): I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether he will grant a Return showing the excess of school-places over average attendance

authorised by the Act of last year. That MR. WATT: When will the print of Act, while restricting all new licence the Bill be in the hands of Members?

MR. SINCLAIR said he was aware to tenants from outside and to afford that a petition was signed by Irish them adequate protection when brought fishermen in regard to whaling on the in. coast of Ireland, but he had no knowledge of any further action on their part.